UDM SOA: Poland 2006 Jake Gehring's Weblog

Crunch Time

Well it's 8 am on a Saturday. We've got our final studio projects due on Monday. I think all of us have been working at least 18-hours everyday for the past week. We were all slaving away on our urban design projects. After many long nights, rebuilding multiple models, retracing drawings, reinking lines, and recoloring everything, again and again, we should be all set for at least urban design. It's always a challenge at the end of the semester being an architecture major. We don't just have finals, but we have large semester long projects, that deserve many drawings, as well as, multiple models. When the final exhibition between the Poles and us happens, the 20-hour days won't seem as bad. I think we were all surprised at the unending workload that we took on. Any archi knows how much a studio project involves, but think of that workload doubled. Our urban design studio has taken one the effect of another studio. Anyways, enough of that. We all can't wait until the end of next week. 9 of the 12 will be heading out onto the Baltic for a three-day sailing escapade to celebrate the end of the semester. We also recently learned that we will be seeing the Pope at a large outdoor mass on May 26. He's in Poland that weekend to visit Krakow, Auschwitz, and Warsaw. I believe only I have seen a Pope. So it will be a great experience for all of us. We are all heading out on our personal travels in the beginning of June. I will post pictures and comments following out exhibition next week. ( May 20 2006, 02:05:50 AM EDT ) Permalink Comments [2]

Updated Picture Album

If you haven't been to the pictures site lately, check out the new pictures. http://www.udmercy.edu/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album17 Just copy the link into your browser and bookmark in your favorites. ( May 06 2006, 08:01:06 AM EDT ) Permalink Comments [1]

Spring Break

Well, we finally got to have ourselves a little time away from good ole Poland. We took the night train to Prague, Czech Republic. I think we all agreed never to take the night train again. It wouldn't have been bad having a sleeper coach, however sitting on an overnight train for 8 hours with no dining car was not the best idea. Anyways, on to Prague. We stayed a little bit out of town in a small hostel on the river. It was one of those hostels thats as close as you can get to home. The staff and home-cooked meals were fantastic. It was a great change of pace. As for the city itself, it was unbelievable. I think we were all blown away by Prague because the entire city was spared in WWII. Every single street has 17th, 18th, and 19th century buildings. They have all the elements of classical architecture that you just don't see anymore. An original piece of Prague is that the city developed it's own style of Art Deco. Think of the Guardian Building, in downtown Detroit, with a European twist. Not too mention, on a much more personal scale. The castles and the churches, it was all so overwhelming. Never did I think I would see such a city where you can literally step back into classical times. We absorbed as much as we could by taking tours, going to a classical concert, eating the Czech specialities, and just walking around making our own discoveries. Having been to Berlin, and experiencing the modern European metropolis it wa nice to see the other end of the spectrum. ( May 05 2006, 02:58:54 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]

Weekend on the coast

Last weekend our group traveled with an internation contingent of study abroad students to the Baltic Sea. Our group consisted of students from France, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Germany, and even a few Polish students. On Friday evening we arrived in Gdansk. Gdansk used to be part of Germany and was mostly destroyed in WWII by American and Russian forces. After the end of the war, Gdansk was reunited with the rest of Poland. The city does not sit right on the coast, as the harbor would be effected by the tide and the elements. The city became very rich from exportation from grain and amber. The entire center is historically rebuilt and has been beautifully restored. The church of St. Mary's is the center of old town and is the largest brick church in all of Europe. Its exterior outine is within St. Peter's in Rome. I'll have to look for it when I go there. The highlight of the weekend was the return trip. We made a stop off in Malbork. The city was once the capital of the Teutonic nation. The Teutonic Knights built a series of three brick castles on low ground. Because of the castle's vulnerable location, it was built particularly strong. The tour had amazing amber and medieval weapons exhibitions on display. The castle was captured by the Polish kingdom in the 16th century, and the Teutonic Knights never recaptured it. The complex was later destroyed in WWII. The main chapel of the castle has yet to be fully rebuilt. The Polish government is considering wether to let it stand as a warning to such senseless acts of violence, or to rebuild it. From my experience so far, it is so disheartening to travel to so many cities and know that most of them are rebuilt. The building exteriors are rebuilt in their historic fashion, however the interiors are modern and not accurate of the original condition. One of our professors once commented that all of this reconstruction is somewhat like a fantasy land like Disney World. It really makes you stop and think. ( Apr 25 2006, 11:41:21 AM EDT ) Permalink Comments [2]

Frohe Ostern

Happy Easter everyone. Well so much has happened since I posted two weeks ago. Most recently, we all just returned for a 5-day trip to Berlin. Having been there four years ago, I thought I would have a handle on the city, but so much has changed. We stayed in a new hostel practically underneath the Fernsehturm. That's the large television tower that was the main symbol of communism in Berlin. In the 5 days we were there I believe we covered most everything there is to cover. We saw the western side of the city that was under allied forces. Because we lived on the eastern side of the city I think we saw so much more. There is a building explosion on the east side of the city. We journeyed to the new olympic stadium that has since been updated for the 2006 World Cup this summer. The new center of Berlin is Potsdamer Platz. It's the historic business district that was recreated in the late 20th century. It holds theatres, the Sony Center, the Deutsche Bahn hub (German train system), a mall, many restaurants, and a lot of restaurants. We saw the Blue Man Group in one of the new theaters. That same day we also saw a symphony performance at the German Philharmonic. The architectural masterpiece was designed by Hans Scharoun, and is the start of the post modernism movement in the architecture world. Speaking of monumental architecture we also took a tour of the Jewish museum designed by Daniel Libeskind. The building gives the feeling of a how the European Jews really struggled and lived life in fear during those horrible times. We also saw many parts of the wall that are still standing all over the city. The main attraction of the wall is Checkpoint Charlie where the American checkpoint was to enter into the east side. After the weekend we took a day to journey put to Potsdam. Potsdam is a Berlin suburb where the kings and royalty of historic Berlin built their summer palaces and gardens. The main palace there is Sanssouci Palace designed for Friedrich II. That night we went back to the city and went to Siegessaeule. The monument is a large golden angel placed on a large column. The monument is 70 m high and is the anchor point of Berlin's largest park, Tiergarden. Toward the end of the evening we went up the communist tower and had dessert in the rotating restaurant. Topping off the long weekend we went to Berlin's main cathedral, the Dom. We took a tour of the main museum on museum island. As it is called, Altes Museum (Old Museum) we got to see a lot of historic treasures from Egypt and other Middle Eastern cultures. Topping out the day we went to the Brandenburg Gate and then to lunch of top of the Reichstag. The Reichstag is the German Parliment Building with a new glass dome on top that gives unobscured 360-degree views of the city. This weekend we should be traveling to the Baltic Sea to stay in Gdansk. The polish harbor town is famous for one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Europe. ( Apr 19 2006, 12:32:27 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]

Making time to do it all

I think we can all say that the time is moving much too fast here. We're fast approaching 2 months. Although I get the feeling that we've always been and always will be here. School has really picked up. We're back into the normal UDM Architecture Major work load. If you're wondering what that consists of, it's a lot of all-nighters. On the plus side, we found a great pizza place, and students in the hostel get a 50% discount! Just the other day our exchange professor Fred said that we've all progressed by leaps and bounds in out watercolor, as well as drawing skills. For our Urban Design course we are proposing a new plan for the Praga District of Warsaw. It is on the east side of the city and includes a large deep-water port. Coinciding with that, we are proposing designs for a new cultural center on two different sites in Praga. Lately, we've been cranking away on all of that so that we have time for out Easter and Spring-Break Trips. Berlin, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest are all on the list. Last weekend we were able to get away fro two days and travel south to the cultural capital of Krakow. The city and weather were both beautiful both days. We journeyed to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp for an entire day. It was a sombering experience. One can not fathom the sheer size of this place of death. We all felt very errie. On a lighter note, we saw a lot of the night-life, as well as touring the city districts and castles during the day. I will see what I can do about the watercolor pictures that were requested. ( Apr 04 2006, 01:08:53 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [3]

PICTURES

Here is a link for pictures. http://www.udmercy.edu/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album17 ( Mar 27 2006, 10:10:42 AM EST ) Permalink Comments [1]

Thinking of Spring

Time sure is flying on our trip. I believe today is day number 37. The cold weather is finally subsiding so we don't have to drag along our gloves and hats. Our first studio project went very well. Both the Polish and American students turned out some first class designs. The most interesting part about the project came to presentation. The Poles have awesome graphic design skills, so they mostly presented 3-D renderings. On the other hand, we Americans presented models and drawings. Enough about school, because we do get a chance to get out once in a while. Two weeks back, we traveled to the far southern part of Poland to the Tatry Mountains on the Slovakian Border. We stayed in a small skiing town called Zakopane. The city is a tourist-based attraction; however, it offers the best down-hill skiing in Poland; not to mention, the spectacular mountain views. We only came home with a few bruises, although one of the Poles broke her arm. Looking ahead, we plan on traveling to Krakow, the cultural capital of Poland. ( Mar 27 2006, 09:54:46 AM EST ) Permalink Comments [0]

now we've got it

Hello From Warsaw: Wow, I can't even explain the experiences we're having in Poland. Our classes are unbelievable. Our drawing and watercolor professors are some of the best in the world. I have to admit I was very intimidated by all of the work we have seen; however our studios seem to be at the same level as UDM. All the students on the trip are all upstanding students, not to mention top-notch designers. I can't wait to see the results of our projects. In terms of academics, we are actively working on designs for a home on the Vistula River. We are also redesigning a major section of the Praga district of Warsaw. Praga is on the west side on the Vistula that faired better than the city in the second World War. It's not a shock, but we see many of the same similarities of Warsaw that exsist in Detroit. There is no doubt in my mind that both groups of this exchange will greatly benefit from this exchange. ( Mar 05 2006, 04:20:31 PM EST ) Permalink Comments [3]

Warsaw

Well it's been a week since we first arrived in Warsaw. I think all of us on the trip can agree that our first experiences weren't the greatest, however that's no longer the case. Warsaw is a vibrant metropolis. With all the trams, buses, and subways we're able to get around anywhere we need to go without bothering our host students. We found a huge store thats just like a Meijer in metro Detroit. Don't worry though we're staying away from American food. I think everyone's stomach is getting used to the warm milk, keilbasa, and perogies. We are enrolled at the University of Technology in Warsaw. The school is very close to downtown Warsaw. Our professors speak english very well, and they are just as patient while helping us to learn polish. The first week a little scary, but we soon managed to get a feel for the city and start meeting a lot of new friends. I have no doubt that this trip will be one that stands out in my memory. ( Feb 26 2006, 11:59:18 AM EST ) Permalink Comments [0]